The NBC Tuesday night drama follows the ups and downs of the Braverman family. It's all-star cast features Peter Krause (Six Feet Under), Monica Potter, Lauren Graham and Craig T. Nelson as the crotchety, vietnam-era, hippie dad. It's a good solid show with some good storylines, but the best part of the hour each week is the music. The show is giving stellar unknown artists like Slaid Cleaves, James Blake ("A Case for You," a Joni Mitchell is one of the most interesting vocals ever), The Lennings (who deliver a slow, folky version of "You're the One That I Want" from Grease), Civil Wars, Fink, and [...]
Compelling live set from a master Texas songwriter Over the course of twenty years and more than a half-dozen albums, transplanted New Englander Slaid Cleaves has established himself in a league with peers like Bruce Robison, and following closely in the footsteps of Robert Earl Keen, Guy Clark and the rest of the Texas songwriting deans. His studio recordings have been engaging and, starting with 2000's Broke Down , commercially noticed, but his words gain dimension when shared on stage. Cleaves' songs are not often happy affairs, and his [...]
SLAID CLEAVES ON FRIDAY SEP. 16TH AT MCCABE'S GUITAR SHOP, 3010 PICO BOULEVARD, SANTA MONICA. 8:00PM/ $20/ ALL AGES
MUSICFESTNW: CHARLES BRADLEY, DENNIS COFFEY, MONARQUES ( Aladdin Theater , 3017 SE Milwaukie) Read our article on Charles Bradley. MUSICFESTNW: ARCHERS OF LOAF, SEBADOH, VIVA VOCE ( Crystal Ballroom , 1332 W Burnside) Read our article on Archers of Loaf. [ Subscribe to the comments [...]
With an back catalogue of the quality possessed by Slaid Cleaves the only problem envisaged with a live release would be which tracks to include, a problem partly alleviated by making the release a double disc affair and ensuring the fans favourites make the cut, the album is a true reflection of the artist in his element, rather than pick and choose tracks from historical live shows the album was recorded at the Horseshoe Lounge Austin TX, a warts-and-all release with audience banter and clinking glasses it's as authentic as the songs themselves. The album fittingly [...]
Folksinger Slaid Cleaves returns to the legendary Horseshoe Lounge in Austin, Texas, to record his first live album.
Released earlier this year in the US, Rod Picott's latest album Welding Burns is an independent release that's out in the UK today and he touring over here in October to promote it, the dates are below and there's a Bob Harris Country session planned too which I'm very much looking forward to. I mentioned in a recent post Picott's contribution to the great Amanda Shires album Carrying Lightning and on this his seventh solo release she joins up with him again adding vocals and fiddle to the album which was recorded at True Tone Studios, Nashville TN [...]
No time for a full SXSW update but I did want to share these amateurish video's I took of Sam Baker, Danny Schmidt, Storyhill, Matt The Electrician, and Slaid Cleaves from various showcases. Although the quality may be lacking the songwriting and emotion behind the songs does come through. Danny Schmidt - " Serpentine Cycle of Money " Untitled from craig bonnell on Vimeo . Sam Baker - "Mennonite" Untitled from craig bonnell on Vimeo [...]
Songs of loss leads to acceptance and moving on...
1. Soft - Droppin' - I don't know much about this band other than this song is really freakin' good. Hi-hats are singing in the streets tonight. [from Gone Faded | buy ] 2. Slaid Cleaves - This Morning I Am Born Again (Woody Guthrie) - There are few things dirtier, more desolate, more hallowed, than a properly executed bluegrass song. Woody Guthrie was the man and Cleaves brings out the best in it. [from Broke Down | buy ] 3. Rogue Wave [...]
We're long overdue for a comprehensive look at the Guthrie legacy here on these pages. And with Arlo's infamous long-form Thanksgiving narrative Alice's Restaurant Massacree riding the airwaves this weekend in anticipation of next week's inevitable all-Christmas-all-day switch-over, it seems there's no time like the present. Thinking more deeply, though, Woody's songbook also bears out well as a soundtrack for giving thanks. So many of his narratives point to the dustbowl world, with its depression-era desperation for that which we take for granted today, from freedoms to support structures, [...]
Slaid Cleaves reputation as an A1 Americana troubadour was cemented with his album Broke Down released a full ten years ago, since then he's added Wishbones (2004), Unsung (2006) and last years Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away, as a body of work there a few others traversing this genre that can boast to having such a consistently quality back catalogue as the Austin based singer-songwriter. Today's short set comprises four tracks from Cleaves last album performed at KUT Studio 1A in support of release and a bonus track from a KGSR performance back [...]
Slaid Cleaves: Cold and Lonely [ purchase ] A transitional song, connecting one theme to the next with the tiniest of conjunctions. Texan singer-songwriter Slaid Cleaves is yet another critically praised yet struggling artist, one whom several of us here at Star Maker Machine believe is criminally undersung. This track, from his 2000 album Broke Down, wrings exquisite despair from a rich palette of slow, deadpan vocals, eerie backing electric and lap slide guitars, and a bleak narrative of loss, speaking volumes about our support for [...]
Finally, my first post of the new decade. After my ski trip, I was backed up with work, and I've had a lot of photos to edit. And for the second year in a row, the task of making my lists sort of drained the free-form fun out of what I do here. I'm ready to start finding new music as well as posting about some older stuff that had a hand in me starting this blog in the first place. Truth be told, I wanted a little extra time to refine this list as it is quite [...]
#20 • Deer Tick - Born On Flag Day The Ghost (MP3) #19 • Wrinkle Neck Mules - Let The Lead Fly The Waters All Run Dry (MP3) #18 • Grant Langston - Stand Up Man Broken Clocks (MP3) #17 • Sara Watkins - Sara Watkins Any Old Time (MP3) #16 • The Deep Dark Woods - Winter Hours All The Money I Had Is Gone (MP3) #15 • Corb Lund - Losin' Lately Gambler Long Gone To Saskatchewan (
What a strong year for music! I've had a hell of a time narrowing down my list this year. Once I got it down to my top 30 albums , it took me forever to parse it down to ten. One thing that I noticed about my particular list is that it really leans heavily towards the country/folk-ish albums. I'm usually a big indie rock geek, but for some reason none of the rock releases that professional critics are lauding this year really did anything for me (e.g. Grizzly Bear, Phoenix, Animal Collective, etc.). [...]
Here it is folks! Expanded for 2009, my Top 20 Albums of the Year - Part I. 20. Wye Oak - The Knot Merge, 7.21.2009 It's a loud, alt-rock album kept country with a heavy dose of steel guitar. Wye Oak is Jenn Wasner (guitar, vocals) and Andy Stack (drums, vocals). [...]
Much of March 2009 was taken up with SXSW previews and reviews. This review mentions a Slaid Cleaves show at the Cactus Cafe and it also mentions his 2009 release Everything You Love Will Get Taken Away . ----- Slaid Cleaves may not be the king of Austin singer-songwriters, that title still belongs to Willie Nelson, but he is certainly one of it's Princes. Thus it was important for me to pay my respects on my last night in Austin. Slaid was the headliner [...]
Always good news - a new Drive-by Truckers album, set for release March 16th the band have confirmed the title and track list for the debut release on ATO Records, full article here . Americana Spotlight Slaid Cleaves at Americana Roots [...]
30 Days Out
Hyperbolium
L.A. RECORD
End Hits
Beat Surrender
Music @ Blogcritics.org
songsillinois
A Fifty Cent Lighter & A Whiskey Buzz
linesthroughlines
Cover Lay Down
Star Maker Machine
This Mornin' I Am Born Again
There's Always Someone Cooler Than You
Rockstar Aimz
Diplo - "Climax" (MP3 Stream)
Out This Week 2/14
Jackback Feat. David Guetta & Nicky Romero – Wild One Two
Jack White – Love Interruption [Music Video]
Skrillex Uses Satanic and Homosexual Influence to Win Grammys
